Draft attachment for railroad-cars.



(No Model.)

ii I" lill ilhhh" m Rg y Patented May 20, |902. M. J. DONOVAN.

DRAFT ATTACHMENT FUR RAILROAD CARS.

(Application led Dec. 20, 1.901.)

l" lli Il.

UNITEDv/Siarns" PATENT MICHAEL JOSEPH DONOVAN, OF VIOKSBURG, MISSISSIPPI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD YTO LEON MOSES SCHLENKER, OF VIOKSBURG, MISSISSIPPI.

FOR RAILROAD-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0.' 700,629, dated May 20, 1902. Application ledDeoember 20, 1901. Serial No. 86,690. (No model.)

To a/ZZ wwn it may concern:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL JOSEPH DONO- VAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Vicksburg, in the coun-ty of Varren and State of Mississippi, have invented a new and Improved Draft Attachment for Railroad-Cars, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to railroad-cars having draw-rods extending from one end of the car to the other to connect with the drawbars; andthe object of the invention is to provide a new and improved draft attachment for railroad-cars arranged to insure easy drawing of the cars and to-resist buffeting shocks or jars, so as to relieve the car. body of undue strain, thereby insuring longer life ofthe car-body.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate cor-Y responding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a car-body provided with the improvement. Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view of the same, parts of the improvement being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a front end elevation of the draft-casting and the car-iron of a modified form, and Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the improvement on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Thedraft attachment for railroad-cars is mounted on a draft-casting having a baseplatevA, which rests against the underside of anend sill B and side sills O of .a carbody, and the said base-plate is fastened by bolts D to the said sills, as plainly indicated in the drawings. On the forward end of the base-plate A is formed an upwardly-extending integral flange A', engaging the front face of the end sill B and secured to the latter and to the car-body by truss-rods E, as plainly shown in Figs. l and 2. The rear end of the base-plate A is provided with an upwardlyextending integral cross-piece A2, having longitudinal flanges A3, likewise integral with the base-,plate and fitting into recesses or gains formed on the inner faces ofthe side sills O, as plainly shown in Fig. 4, a bolt D extending transverselyl through the sills C and the said iianges A3 to assist in securely fastening the base-plate in position on the sills of the car. From the front end of the base-plate A depend integral spaced arms A4, strengthened by ribs A5, and supporting at 6o their lower ends bolts F for fastening a carryiron G in place between the said arms A4 for the shank H' of a draw-bar H to rest on, as will be readily understood by reference to the drawings. The'carry-iron G may be in 65 the shape of a cross-bar, as indicated in Figs.

-1 and 2 or in the shape of a roller G", mounted to turn on asingle bolt F', attached to the arms A4, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The rear end of the Vshank H' of the draw-bar H is 7c formed with an integral lug H2, projecting beyond the sides of the shankand formed with longitudinally extending apertures H3 and concentric spring-seats H4 at the rear face of the lug, (see Fig. 2,) and through the said apertures H3 and seats H4 extend draw-rods I, also passing through apertures A7 -and spring-seats A8, formed in a bracket A6, depending integrally fromthe base-plate A near the rear end thereof, the bracket be- 8o ing strengthened by ribs A9. The apertures A7 and H3 register with each other, and likewise the corresponding seats H4 and A8, and the said seats are engaged by sets ofsprings J and J', coiled on the rods I, between the 85 lug H? and the bracket A5. Keys Kare inserted in the forward ends of' the rods I to abut against the forward ends of the projecting sides of the lug H2, the arrangement being such that the springs J and J' are nor- 9o Inally under a slight tension, it being understood that the draw-rods I extend from one end of the car-body to the other to connect in the same manner with the draw-bar, as above described, and shown in Fig. 1.

From the foregoing it will beseen that all outward pull exerted on the draw-bar H causes the 'draw-rods I to move along, so that the springs J and J at the other end of the car are compressed while the draw-bar at this end 10o is moved inward, and consequently the entire strain comes on the base-plate A and not on the car-body, so that the latter is relieved of all undue strain. It is expressly understood thatwhen the springs J and J' are compressed the pressure is exerted against the lug H2 and bracket A6, and as the bracket is an integral part of the base-plate A it is evident that the. car-timber is not subjected to the drawing pending carry-iron on one end of the said draft-casting, a depending apertured bracket on the other end of the draft-casting, a drawbar resting on the said carry-iron and having an apertured lug, draft-rods extending through the said bracket and lug, and sprin gs held between the said bracket and lug, the draft-rods extending through the springs, and the latter being seated on seats formed on the opposing faces of the bracket and lug, as set forth.

2. A draft attachment for railroadcars, comprising a draft-casting for attachment to the end and side sills of the car-body, a depending carry-iron on one end of the said draft-casting, a depending apertured bracket on the other end of the draft-casting, a drawbar resting on the said carry-iron and having an apertured lug, Vdraft-rods extending through the said bracket and lug, springs held between the said bracket and lug, the draft-rods extending through the springs, and the latter being seated on seats formed on the opposing faces of the bracket and lug, and keys held on the outer ends of the draft-rods to abut against the outer end of the lng on the draw-bar, as set forth.

3. A draft attachment for railroad-cars, comprising a draft-casting arranged for attachment to the car-sills, depending arms on the forward end of the draft-casting, av carryiron supported between the arms, a depending bracket on the rear end of the draft-cast ing and formed with longitudinal apertures and spring-seats, a draw-bar supported on the carryiron and having its shank provided with a lug having apertures and spring-seats in alinelnent with the apertures and springseats on the draft-'castin g bracket, springs extending between the said bracket and the said lug and seated on the seats thereon, draftrods extending through the said registering apertures, spring-seats and springs, and keys held on the ends of the draft-rods and adapted to abut against the forward end of the lug, as set forth.

4. A draft attachment for railroad-cars provided with a draft-casting, comprising a baseplate litting against the under side of the end sill and the side sills, a flange extending upward on the forward end of the baseplate for attachment to the front face of the end sill, depending arms on the front end of the baseplate for supporting a carry-iron, a bracket depending from the rear end of the base-plate and having longitudinal apertures and spring-seats, and a cross-piece having side anges and rising integrally from the base-plate at the rear end thereof for attachment to the side sills of the car-body, as set forth.

5. A draft attachment for railroad-cars, comprising a base-plate tting against the under side of the end sill and the side sills and provided at its forward end with an upwardlyprojecting flange for attachment to the front face of the end sill and depending arms supporting a carry-iron, and at its rear end with a depending apertured bracket having slots in its front face, and with an upwardly-extending' cross-piece connected with the baseplate by side flanges, a draw-bar working between the arms and resting on the carryiron, the rear end of the draw-bar having an apertured lug having seats around the apertures, draft-rods extending through the apertures of the bracket and lug on the draw-bar andv provided withsecuring means at their ends, and springs surrounding the rods with their ends in the seats of the said bracket and lug, as set forth.

6. In a draft attachment for railroad-cars, a draft-casting secured to the end and sills of a car and provided at its front end withan upwardly-projectingliange and depending arms having a roller mounted between them and at its rear end with a depending apertured bracket, a draw-bar having its shank working in the guideway and provided with an apertured lug at its rear end, draft-rods extending through the apertures of the bracket and lug and provided at their ends with stops for engaging said lug, and springs surrounding the rods between said lug and bracket, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed niy name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

MICHAEL JOSEPH DONOVAN.

Witnesses:

R. O. GRANT, FLORA LIEBY.

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